Dems Outmaneuvered Yet Again?

Mikaela:
I hope everyone's following the gathering storm over the implication of Karl Rove and Lewis "Scooter" Libby in the outting of CIA operative Valerie Plame in retribution for her husband's outspoken contradiction of the Administration's lies leading up to the invasion of Iraq.

I won't go into it, but if you want more details, the New York Times and Washington Post have been covering the unfolding conspiracy (there! I said it!) quite well.

Now that it appears Rove and/or Libby will be indicted by the Grand Jury, newspapers are falling all over themselves to report how the Republicans, and more specifically, the White House, will "spin" this political disaster. What's the strategy? Who says what? Who agrees, and who has different ideas? (See LA Times, Washington Post, New York Times)

What bothers me is that in exactly NONE of these stories -- not in the New York Times, not in the Washington Post, and not in the LA Times -- does the reporter interview any Democrats. Why isn't the coverage balanced? And if the argument is that the stories themselves don't have to be balanced, then I would argue that at least the newspaper COVERAGE should be, so where are the separate stories asking Democrats about THEIR strategies to exploit this little political windfall to good gain for the country (although I'd settle for what they'll do to strengthen Democrats' standings in upcoming elections)?

Are they not covering it because -- and here's the big fear -- the Dems have NO IDEA what to do with this scandal? Are they going to roll over yet again and pass on this historic moment when they have leverage to insist on accountability from this secretive and manipulative administration because, well, why kick a guy when he's down? COME ON.

Democrats should understand that this is not just a partisan attack moment. This is a significant instance of the abuse of secret intelligence that put CIA operations at risk that protect the safety of this country.

Not only that, but this scandal is a precedent of the administration's top advisors conspiring together to MISLEAD the public about its reasons for invading another country, killing people -- women and children included -- privatizing its resources, and forcing an ill-fitting democracy made in our image and propped up by our military presence, which justifies our continued occupation for as long as we deem necessary.

We talk about Democrats needing to learn how to frame issues to speak of their values and prove to Americans what they stand for. Take this moment to prove that we don't give a rats ass about Rove and Libby as politicians; what we care about is their role in lying to the American people, the Grand Jury, and to the very bosses they supposedly are accountable to (if in fact Bush and Cheney didn't know of their activities, which I grant is highly unlikely)!

The LA Times reports that a recent poll shows most Americans are not following the scandal and don't even know Rove's name.

This is a damning indictment of Democrats -- who should be out there in front of the White House whitewashers to educate the public about the danger to accountability, security, and democracy that the country's top advisors put our country in for their own political purposes. If nothing else, we need to be talking about the safeguards to ensure nothing like this can ever happen again, no matter who's in the White House or which party rules the land.

Democrats: Start Talking! Get it together! We need you now more than ever!